All Advocacy

Keep up with breaking news on policy decisions and legislation
affecting biomedical research, research funding opportunities,
regulations, and other important matters impacting pharmacology and
pharmacologists.

The Senate HELP committee has approved the final biomedical innovation bills that form its counterpart to the Cures Act. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee has since February been working on a companion bill to the House-approved 21st Century Cures bill. The committee approved the final biomedical innovation bills that form its counterpart to the Cures Act. Togeth…

Senate Committee moving forward companion to House 21st Century Cures Act with the approval of 19 pieces of bipartisan legislation making full-Senate consideration likely.
Following a successful, bipartisan committee process and approval of the last of 19 bipartisan pieces of legislation that will become the Senate companion to the 21st Century Cures Act – passed last year by the House of Re…

New legislation to increase funding for targeted biomedical research initiatives
Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led by Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Patty Murray (Wash.), March 3 introduced the National Biomedical Research Act (S. 2624) to increase funding for targeted biomedical research initiatives through a new, reliable funding stream …

Strong workforce and science-based decision making are key issues for new FDA Commissioner
On March 4, the Senate Appropriations subcommittee listened to Dr. Califf’s first testimony as FDA Commissioner. The hearing was short, lasting only 45 minutes, because of scheduled Senate votes but Dr. Califf made clear that he had two priorities: building a strong, professional, well-supported FDA wo…

Obama’s final budget request brings mixed news for science agencies
On February 9th the president released his final budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget. The administration proposes $4.23 trillion in budget authority and $3.64 trillion in revenue for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The administration projects $4.15 trillion in actual spending (outlays) in FY 2017, resulting i…

Research sciences are high priority in budget and appropriations talks
House Republicans Clash Over Budget Response and Look Ahead to Appropriations Process: House GOP conservatives continue to balk at the budget framework negotiated last year by former Speaker John Boehner and Democrats, and are threatening to vote against the budget resolution unless it cuts $30 billion from agreed-upon sp…

Legislative Update: POTUS budget released Feb.9th; House Speaker still intent on regular order; Mandatory funding
Members of Congress will turn their attention to fiscal year (FY) 2017 when President Barack Obama sends his proposed budget to Capitol Hill on February 9. The administration's request is expected to include more details about initiatives for federal agencies next y…

Congress is back; House Passes Reconciliation; POTUS’s Last Budget Request Projected to be released (one week late)
According to a tweet posted by OMB Director Shaun Donovan today, the President's budget request, the last of his administration should be released on February 9th; that makes the budget about a week and a day late, according to the statutory deadline (it requires the president subm…

ASPET joined FASEB in applauding Representative Tom Cole (R-OK) and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), chairmen of the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittees in the House and Senate, respectively, for leading efforts to promote the promise of biomedical research and build bipartisan support for the omnibus bill among colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Not only will the $2 bill…